INSANE PRACTICE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 931, 29 November 1933, Page 1

INSANE PRACTICE.

“ Throwing ” of N.Z. Produce on Home Market. MORE COOPERATION URGED. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received November 29, 1.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 2S. At the Empire Society’s luncheon Mr Thomas Baxter, in an interesting way, described the discussions he had with dairy farmers in New Zealand. He thought the Dairy Produce Board looked upon the business more from the factory side than from the farmers’ side, and was interested chiefly in getting the largest number of tons through the factory. He admitted that New Zealand’s prosperity was dependent on her pastoral products. Therefore, her difficulty was a real one, but he was quite sure that until some regulation of dairy produce was adopted, and the insane practice of throwing Dominion and foreign produce on to the British market was stopped, there could be no rise in prices. Therefore, he hoped soon to have some co-operation between the Dominion farmers and those of Britain. Incidentally he mentioned that last summer his wife was buying New Zealand butter delivered at the home for 8d a pound, while he paid Is a pound for grease for his motor-car, and fetched it himslf. This was because some common sense was used in thet marketing of grease. BOARD REPLIES. “Essential to Maintain Power to Purchase.” (Received November 29, 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, November 28. The London office of the New Zealand Dairy Produce Board, in reply to Mr Baxter, says that the chief object of the Ottawa agreement was to stimulate Empire trade. Empire restriction was direct by negation of that. Britain was entitled to increase her exports of manufactures to New Zealand, but it was essential that the Dominion’s purchasing power should be maintained, or increased. The board does not think that the artificial restriction of the dairy output raises the power to purchase British goods. It was proved beyond question that inceased prosperity in the Dominions was reflected immediately in increased imports from Britain.